The Benefits of Booktime
What is Pearson offering to support the delivery of Booktime?
MATERIALS
Each child will receive a gift book pack to take home to keep:- in a blue nylon drawstring bag
- the illustrated book “Funnybones”
- and a parents’ guide on shared reading
- twoteachers’ cards explaining the programme, suggesting possible activities and details of a microsite for additional resources
- two complimentary books as teacher/library copies
Sample book packs will be sent to each local authority and library services /
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Pearson are delivering the packs free of charge to designated central hubs in each participating region in June 2007School orders and additional materials will be provided pre-packed and labelled, specific to each school’s requirements
Our website will provide:
- A link to the film of the Booktime pilot
- Resources for teachers and librarians
- Tips for parents and carers on books and reading aloud with their children
- Links to national family reading websites
A partnership agreement, advocacy document, school order template and local press brief will be sent to each local authority
How will Booktime benefit the children and families in your region?
Each participating region will have the opportunity to be involved in Booktime throughout the duration of the programme, initially planned for three years.
Not all families have books at home
Booktime was piloted in the London Borough of Southwark and Warwickshire in January 2006. One teacher told us in a survey of the pilot that her pupils “…found it a wonderful experience. They were very excited to receive the books as some of the children had never owned their own books before.”
Booktime encourages family reading and reading for pleasure
An enthusiastic father told us “I think it is a fantastic idea. Our daughter…loved listening to the book being read to her & was beginning to read pages herself. I love the idea of encouraging others to read for pleasure too.”
Teachers, parents and carers interviewed as part of an independent evaluation of the pilot in February and March 2006, said that the children had responded particularly to the rhythm and humour of ‘Hairy Maclary’s Bone’, laughing at the names and making up their own characters and stories.
Teachers, parents and carers also said the children enjoyed writing their name in the front of the book and particularly liked the way that it was packaged in a bag they could wear on their backs, as this seemed to make it feel “special” and “personal” to them.
Parents and carers also told us that they found the parent guide useful and that the gift of the book pack both reminded and encouraged them to read more with their children.
One parent from Warwickshire said that before they received the Hairy Maclary book pack, they had found it “really difficult to encourage [their] son to be interested in books, but now he is enjoying books [and] wants to go in bookshops and the library.”
The project will run in the same month as National Children’s Book Week and Family Learning Week, providing great opportunities for schools and libraries to increase their links with parents, carers and young children.
Using the book as a resource in schools and libraries
The project offers great scope for libraries and schools to run activities following the roll out to promote the pleasure of reading.
Teachers involved in the pilot read the book at story time and created some inspiring classroom activities linked to the book and areas of the national curriculum.
The popularity of the book and the enthusiasm generated by teachers who read it in class could provide a useful opportunity for libraries and local authorities to engage more with parents and carers.
A librarian from Southwark stated that the children who came to the event ”…certainly enjoyed themselves. It was a bigger turnout than usual. The parents joined in as well, and we had to set up an additional table, as there were so many people.”
In Warwickshire, one of the librarians commented that: “Both sessions had a lot of participants borrowing books, which I've not noticed so much at previous activity sessions we've held. The parents all appeared to stay with the children which does not seem to happen when we have ticketed events”.
Another father wrote: “Great book. Bag provided appealed to my child. Also prompted me to join him into the Library instead of using cards of siblings, which he seems quite pleased about. Thanks.”
“I don't think it could be improved on, it was a super idea and very well received by children, parents and me.” Teacher, Warwickshire.
Thank you for your support of Booktime.
We hope that through this programme all the children involved in your region will discover the pleasure of reading.
Page 1